Bihar Museum, Patna, has been ranked 9th in the world, 1st in Asia and 1st in India in the World’s 100 Best Museums 2026 ranking. Ironically, this is the same museum whose construction was opposed tooth and nail by sections of civil society and political formations... They went to court to halt it's construction. In June 2015, Patna High Court went so far as to hold that the INR 500 crore project was not in the public interest. The Court stopped short of halting construction only because the project was nearing completion. Yet, amid all the criticism and controversy, one man who remained steadfast was Anjani Kumar Singh, entrusted by then Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with translating his vision into reality. Nitish Kumar's vision was always much larger than constructing another museum. It was about reclaiming Bihar's glorious civilisational legacy, establishing Patna as a cultural hub of international standing and rekindling a sense of pride in being Bihari. The lesson: If you have conviction, clarity of purpose and the courage to pursue a vision, you must sometimes be prepared to stand alone and remain unpopular.